U-Drain and Smart One subjects of new NICE Medical Innovation Briefings

A new device for measuring lung function and a product aimed at people needing night drainage of urine or dialysis fluid have come under the spotlight in newly-published NICE briefings.

NICE Medtech Innovation Briefings aim to support NHS and social care commissioners and staff who are considering using new medical devices and other medical or diagnostic technologies. The information provided includes a description of the technology, how it’s used. and its potential role in the treatment pathway.

NICE Medtech Innovation Briefings also include a review of relevant published evidence and the likely costs of using the technology, but they are not NICE guidance and do not make any recommendations on the value of using the technologies. Whether or not to use the products described is entirely the choice of local staff.

However, the briefings will help avoid the need for organisations to produce similar information, so saving staff time, effort and resources.

The latest Medtech Innovation Briefings to be published are:

Smart One

U-Drain for people needing night drainage of urine or dialysis fluid (U-Drain)

The U Drain drainage system (U Drain) is permanently installed in the homes of people who need night urine collection or are having automatic peritoneal dialysis, so avoiding the need for night drainage bags.

It allows urine and dialysis fluid to be drained directly into the external waste system (soil pipe) on the outside of the home, while the user is asleep.

The U Drain system is provided as a set that includes the tubing, wall socket, clips, screws and other items needed to install the system.

It is the only available permanently installed night drainage system and is designed to replace overnight urine or dialysis fluid drainage bags, which the user has to empty each morning. This can be inconvenient and unpleasant for the user.

The company claims that the U Drain system is clean, odour-free and hygienic.

Smart One for measuring lung function (Medical International Research)

Smart One is a spirometer that connects to a Bluetooth-enabled smartphone or tablet to monitor peak expiratory flow (PEF) and forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1).

The technology includes the handheld Smart One device, the turbine sensor which is inserted into a round slot on Smart One, and a reusable plastic mouthpiece, both of which can be removed for cleaning.

It could enable people who need spirometry to record their PEF and FEV1 values in their own homes, allowing them to take these measurements when most needed, such as during an exacerbation of their symptoms.

The app also allows the user to create and attach a PDF file to a standard email and send to their healthcare professional. The user can choose the time interval to be exported into the PDF.

NICE Medtech Innovation Briefings are commissioned by NHS England and produced in support of the NHS 5 Year Forward View, specifically as one of a number of steps that will accelerate innovation in new treatments and diagnostics.